Integrated eccentric motor and pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514035-B2
Application number	US-201615155665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	May 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A pump is provided. The pump includes a fluid inlet section; a fluid outlet section; a stator axially between the fluid inlet section and the fluid outlet section; a rotor axially between the fluid inlet section and the fluid outlet section, the rotor and the stator defining a fluid flow space radially therebetween; a movable inlet guide configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space; and a movable outlet guide configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid flow space into the fluid outlet section. The rotor is rotatable inside of the stator by electromagnetic forces urging the rotor towards the stator. Rotation of the rotor inside of the stator and movement of the inlet guide and the outlet guide create a pressure in a first portion of the fluid flow space that forces fluid from the fluid flow space through the fluid outlet section and create a vacuum in a second portion of the fluid flow space that pulls fluid from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space. A method of forming a pump is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump comprising:
a fluid inlet section;
a fluid outlet section;
a stator axially between the fluid inlet section and the fluid outlet section;
a rotor axially between the fluid inlet section and the fluid outlet section, the rotor and the stator defining a fluid flow space radially therebetween;
an inlet guide rotatable with respect to the stator about an axis of the rotor and configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space; and
an outlet guide rotatable with respect to the stator about the axis of the rotor and configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid flow space into the fluid outlet section, the rotor being rotatable inside of the stator by electromagnetic forces urging the rotor towards the stator, rotation of the rotor inside the stator and rotation of the inlet guide and the outlet guide creating a pressure in a first portion of the fluid flow space that forces fluid from the fluid flow space through the fluid outlet section and creating a vacuum in a second portion of the fluid flow space that pulls fluid from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space,
the inlet guide and the outlet guide being fixed together by a pin passing axially through the rotor, the pin defining the axis of the rotor, the inlet guide and outlet guide being eccentrically oriented with respect to the pin such that each of the inlet guide and outlet guide includes a first radially extending surface and a second radially extending surface that is shorter than the first radially extending surface.

2. The pump as recited in claim 1 wherein, during rotation of the rotor inside the stator, the inlet guide is configured to move to align the second portion of the fluid flow space with the fluid inlet section and the outlet guide is configured to move to align the first portion of the fluid flow space with the fluid outlet section.

3. The pump as recited in claim 2 wherein the inlet guide is an inlet plate and the outlet guide is an outlet plate.

4. The pump as recited in claim 2 wherein the rotor is eccentrically mounted within the stator for rotation.

5. The pump as recited in claim 4 wherein the rotor is eccentrically fixed to the inlet guide and the outlet guide such that rotation of the rotor about the axis of the rotor in a first rotational direction causes the inlet guide and the outlet guide to rotate about the axis of the rotor in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.

6. The pump as recited in claim 1 wherein, as viewed axially, the inlet guide and the outlet guide cover different cross-sections of the fluid flow space during operation as the inlet guide and the outlet guide rotate about the pin.

7. The pump as recited in claim 6 wherein the inlet guide and the outlet guide each include a guide portion having a semicircular cross-section when viewed axially.

8. The pump as recited in claim 1 wherein the stator includes at least four electrical windings configured for receiving current to generate the electromagnetic forces for urging the rotor towards the stator to rotate the rotor.

9. The pump as recited in claim 8 further comprising a controller configured to control the flow of the current through the at least four electrical windings to rotate the rotor.

10. The pump as recited in claim 1 wherein the fluid inlet section includes an annular groove for guiding a lip of the inlet guide during rotation of the inlet guide and/or the fluid outlet section includes an annular groove for guiding a lip of the outlet guide during rotation of the outlet guide.

11. The pump as recited in claim 1 wherein the inlet guide sits flush against a first radially extending axial facing surface of the stator and a first radially extending axial facing surface of the rotor and the outlet guide sits flush against a second radially extending axial facing surface of the stator and a second radially extending axial facing surface of the rotor.

12. An automotive vehicle transmission comprising the pump recited in claim 1 .

13. A method of forming a pump comprising:
providing a rotor radially inside of a stator;
rotatably fixing an inlet guide to a first axial side of the rotor, the inlet guide being rotatable with respect to the stator about an axis of the rotor;
rotatably fixing an outlet guide to second axial side of the rotor, the outlet guide being rotatable with respect to the stator about the axis of the rotor;
providing a fluid inlet section upstream of the inlet guide; and
providing a fluid outlet section downstream of the outlet guide, the rotor and the stator defining a fluid flow space radially therebetween, the inlet guide configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space, the outlet guide configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid flow space into the fluid outlet section, the rotor being rotatable inside of the stator by electromagnetic forces urging the rotor towards the stator, rotation of the rotor inside of the stator and rotation of the inlet guide and the outlet guide creating a pressure in a first portion of the fluid flow space that forces fluid from the fluid flow space through the fluid outlet section and creating a vacuum in a second portion of the fluid flow space that pulls fluid from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space,
the inlet guide and the outlet guide being fixed together by a pin passing axially through the rotor, the pin defining the axis of the rotor, the inlet guide and outlet guide being eccentrically oriented with respect to the pin such that each of the inlet guide and outlet guide includes a first radially extending surface and a second radially extending surface that is shorter than the first radially extending surface.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein, during rotation of the rotor, the inlet guide is configured to move to align the second portion of the fluid flow space with the fluid inlet section and the outlet guide is configured to move to align the first portion of the fluid flow space with the fluid outlet section.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the inlet guide is an inlet plate and the outlet guide is an outlet plate.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the rotor is eccentrically mounted within the stator for rotation.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the rotatably fixing the inlet guide to the first axial side of the rotor and the rotatably fixing the outlet guide to the second axial side of the rotor includes eccentrically fixing the rotor to the inlet guide and the outlet guide such that rotation of the rotor about the axis of the rotor in a first rotational direction causes the inlet guide and the outlet guide to rotate about the axis of the rotor in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the inlet guide and the outlet guide are fixed together by a pin passing axially through the rotor, the pin defining the axis of the rotor.

19. A pump comprising:
a fluid inlet section;
a fluid outlet section;
a stator axially between the fluid inlet section and the fluid outlet section;
a rotor axially between the fluid inlet section and the fluid outlet section, the rotor and the stator defining a fluid flow space radially therebetween;
an inlet guide rotatable with respect to the stator about an axis of the rotor and configured for guiding fluid flow from the fluid inlet section into the fluid flow space; and
an outlet guid

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Hemphill Jeffrey
• George Philip

Classifications

• F04C2/105

  Details concerning timing or distribution valves · CPC title

• F04C2/103

  one member having simultaneously a rotational movement about its own axis and an orbital movement · CPC title

• F04C15/008 Primary

  Prime movers · CPC title